Bark-cutting machine



(No Model.)

w. CHICKEN. BARK GUTTING MAGHINEV Patented NOV. 22,1881.

Fig- 2- Fig. 1.

INVENTEIR.

- WlTNESSEE. %%L46 N4 PEIERS. PhnwLimo ra ner, Washington. D C.

Unrrno STAT-es Parent @rrree.

WILLIAM CHICKEN, OF CHELSEA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM M. CURTIS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BARK-CUTTING MACHINE.

"SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 249,825, dated November 22, 1881.

Application filed February 14, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern- Be it known that I, WILLIAM CHICKEN, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Chelsea, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bark-Cutting Machines; and I do hereby declare that the same are fully described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in bark-cuttin g machines, and it is carried out as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, on which Figure 1 represents a front elevation. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section; and Fig. 3 represents a plan view.

Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur on the different parts of the drawin gs.

a a represent the frame of the machine, having bearings b b for the rotary cutter-shaft B, to which the toothed cutting-disks I) I) b are secured, as usual, a portion of the latter being only shown in Fig. 3.

O represents the rotary feed-roll, secured to to its shaft 0 as usual. The cutter-shaft B, as well as the feed-roll shaft 0, are both set in a rotary motion by means of belts, pulleys, or gears in the ordinary manner.

D represents the adjustable feed-apron, and d represents its forward edge opposite the cutting-cylinder I). At the forward end of said apron D, on its two opposite sides, are made outwardly-projecting cylindrical hubs d d, located in bearings d d on the frames a a, on which the said apron is arranged to turn, so as to yield to and from the feed-roller O for variations in the thickness of the bark that is being fed to the cutting-cylinder. The forward edge, 61, of the apron D is arranged on an axial line with the hubs d d, as shown in Fig. 2, by which arrangement the said edge d remains at exactly the same distance from the teeth of the cutting-cylinder 1) 12,110 matter how much the apron D is adjusted to and from its feed-rollcr 0, thereby insuring great nniformity of size in the particles of the bark that is being out. At the under side of the edge d is a curved supporting piece, d, the convex surface of which is made concentric with the hubs cl d, on which the apron D turns, which supporting-piece is made to rest in the concave bearing-beam E, extending the whole width ofthe apron D from the frames a a, to which it is firmly secured. The whole pressure on the forward end of the apron is transferred to the said bearing-beam E, the hubs d (1 only serving as fulcra, on which the apron is made to swing, by which arrangement great strength is obtained on the apron where most needed.

F is a screen, located below the cutting-cylinder b b, which screen is made of three flat sidcsviz., a horizontal bottom,f, and two inclined sides,f-f-all equidistant from the cutting-cylinder bb, and all provided with perforations 9 g g, as shown, by which arrangement the bark that is cut is easily forced out through the perforations in said screen without liability to clog. The corners at thejunction of the flat bottom f and flat sides f f form spaces, so as to allow the bark to be relieved from the cutting-teeth of the cylinder after passing by the closest points on the sides, and so as to allow the bark to be thrownout more readily as compared with a concave screen, in which the distance is about equal from the cutters all around, which induces the bark to cake or clog in the teeth of the cylinder.. The said corners form, as it were, relief-spaces for the bark to issue from the teeth.

h is the usual anti'frictional loosel y-rotatin g roll on the apron D, as shown.

The apron D is automatically adjusted to and from the feed-roller O, as follows: To the under side of said apron is hinged the link I by means of the hinge-pin i, the said link I having a grooved roll, i, journaled in its lower end, as shown. The roller 2" rests on the curved lever K, that is movable on the fulcrum-pin k, as shown. The lever K extends to one side of the machine as a bent arm,k, provided with a balance-weight, L, as shown. By this. arrangement the apron D is adapted to move toward or yield from the feed-roller O, according to the thickness of the bark being fed to the cutting-cylinder, and it will do this with great ease and without any great frictional resistance. The forward end of the lever K extends as a curved cam, 70, which serves as a stop when coming in contact with the roller 'i' to prevent the upper part of the apron'D from coming in contact with the feed-roller 0.

What I wish to secure by Letters Patent, and claim, is-

1. In a bark-cutting machine, the adjustable apron D, having its forward edge, d, coinciding with the axial line of the hubs d d, on which it turns, in combination with the rotary cutting-cylinder b I), as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The apron D, with its forward edge, d, arranged on an axial line with its hubs d d, and having the concentric supportin g-piece d, in combination with the concave bearing-beam E, as herein described.

3. In a bark-cutting machine, the combination of its cutting-cylinder b I) and the screen 20 F, composed of perforated horizontal bottom f and perforated inclined sides f f, and havin g relief-spaces at the junction of the bottom and inclined sides, as and for the purpose set forth. 25

4. In a bark-cutting machine, the combination of the hinged apron D and its hinged link I and roller t", the lever K, movable on the fulcrum 7c, the extension k, with its balanceweight L, and the camstop k, as and for the 0 purpose described.

In testimony whereofI have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM CHICKEN.

Witnesses:

ALBAN ANDRIZN, HENRY UHADBOURN. 

